^^ oh, and I'm not saying that just because Keith posts here, everyone I know will name him as one of the best.

eg8r

07-16-2003, 06:53 AM

[ QUOTE ]
To have ever played the game.

In my opinion:

Willie Mosconi
Efren Reyes
Keith McCready <hr /></blockquote>

No offense to Keith, and he has been a breath of fresh air around here, but I do not think he is one of the best 3 EVER.

eg8r &lt;~~~Not better than Keith

Fred Agnir

07-16-2003, 06:57 AM

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote nhp:</font><hr> To have ever played the game.
<hr /></blockquote>Willie, Ralph, Mike.

Fred &lt;~~~ not on the list

L.S. Dennis

07-16-2003, 08:09 AM

This is a tough one, there are so many greats but I'll go with:
Willie Mosconi
Efren Reyes
Ralph Greenleaf

Keith McCready

07-16-2003, 08:14 AM

Currently, IMO, Efren, Bustamante, and Alex the Lion are probably the top three.

From the past, though, I would probably have to say there were a lot of good players back then, but I would have to give the edge to Wimpy Luther Lassiter, Jimmy Moore, and I guess Irving Crane.

Earthquake

SpiderMan

07-16-2003, 09:33 AM

I've always held Buddy Hall in high esteem. Not that he's on top anymore, but I'll never forget that guy with the big curly afro in '75 or so at the Golden Cue in Memphis. Nobody could beat him.

SpiderMan

Deeman

07-16-2003, 09:39 AM

Spiderman,

I agree that Buddy was auful tough back then but my all time three are, Mike S., Efren and Wimpy with a nod to Earl.

pooldaddy9

07-16-2003, 11:14 AM

Efren
Earl
Mike S

sledhamrbrk

07-16-2003, 11:20 AM

Going to have to agree with Keith on this one with one exception. We havent seen Alex establish he can out play Earl or equal his accomplishments.

Completely agree on the playersfrom the past.

Hopster

07-16-2003, 03:02 PM

From the past, though, I would probably have to say there were a lot of good players back then, but I would have to give the edge to Wimpy Luther Lassiter, Jimmy Moore, and I guess Irving Crane. &lt;--Keith

Keith, just curious but how come Mosconi didnt make your list ?

bolo

07-16-2003, 03:10 PM

How come you did not include Mosconi? Didn't some years back, Mosconi gave Richie Florence the 7 ball or something? I know he gave a big spot to Nicky Vachi (sp) for like a $1000. a game. I know you would know, what is the real story behind the story about Richie and Fats?

tateuts

07-16-2003, 03:20 PM

Straight Pool:

Mosconi
Mizerak
Crane

9 Ball:

Sigel
Strickland
Reyes

All Around:

Lassiter
Sigel
Rempe

tateuts

07-16-2003, 03:41 PM

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote bolo:</font><hr> How come you did not include Mosconi? <hr /></blockquote>

About Richie and Fats, they were playing all night, one-pocket, and started out playing 5 or 10 dimes a game, and Fats ended up busting Richie. Fats wore him down. That's about as far as I know about that.

Mosconi never did really beat good 9-ball players. He was probably the best straight-pool man that ever lived. Matter of fact, when I was pretty young, about 18, I gave Willie the 7-ball, and it took him 12 years to even talk to me after that. Mosconi deserves the highest esteem, no question, but I still have to go with my original three as far as best pool players from the past.

Earthquake

bolo

07-16-2003, 05:58 PM

"I gave Willie the 7-ball, and it took him 12 years to even talk to me after that".

Any details, or do we have to wait for the book?

Keith McCready

07-16-2003, 06:02 PM

Back in '75, I admired Buddy Hall's game more than anybody. Actually, I learned a little hesitation stroke from his game that really helped my game, too. When Buddy was hitting them, alls he did was run packages. It was just a matter of how many, six, seven, or eight. He was a solid shooter, and it was awesome.

When Efren came out to the States, they ended up over there in Houston, and all of us troopers bet on Buddy and all the people who knew Efren bet on Efren. And Efren checked up a little short.

Earthquake

Keith McCready

07-16-2003, 06:43 PM

Well, when I played Willie Mosconi, spotting him the 7-ball, it was very short and very brief. I played him a race to 11 over there in Las Vegas. Quite a few people saw it. I beat him, like 11 to 3, for half-a-dime. Here I was a young kid, real cocky, and I didn't care who he was. I sort of barked at him and dared him into it, and that is probably why he got mad when he lost. Nobody likes to lose, but I didn't realize at the time how hard he would take it. If I would have known how he felt, I probably wouldn't have played him. To this day, I still have a lot of respect for his game and as a person, and may he rest in peace.

Earthquake

Ralph S.

07-16-2003, 07:17 PM

Why thank you Fred, I am so humbled you would consider me one of the best three ever in the game. /ccboard/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Ralph&gt; wishes Ralph S. had half the game of the other Ralf S. /ccboard/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Ralph S.

07-16-2003, 07:24 PM

Oh, you meant Ralph Greanleaf. Well, I wish I was half as good as him too. Maybe there is hope for me just because of the name! /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif I have to admit though that all these fellas names Ralph around here is getting me confused LOL. /ccboard/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ccboard/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ccboard/images/graemlins/confused.gif

cueball1950

07-16-2003, 08:45 PM

Top 3....lets see....current

Earl
efren
busty

older players....Wimpy lassiter.....saw him play in norfolk back in the late 60's...was playing out of norfolk then in a pool hall upstairs over a portrait studio. he beat some guy out of a few hundred in short order.

frank taberski....Frank is the reason for the shot clock....would take him 2 hours or so to run 150 balls..or so the story goes. he must have done something right. he is in the hall of fame

irving crane....dam good straight pool player

Fred Agnir

07-17-2003, 07:12 AM

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Keith McCready:</font><hr> Well, when I played Willie Mosconi, spotting him the 7-ball, it was very short and very brief. I played him a race to 11 over there in Las Vegas. Quite a few people saw it. I beat him, like 11 to 3, for half-a-dime. Here I was a young kid, real cocky, and I didn't care who he was. I sort of barked at him and dared him into it, and that is probably why he got mad when he lost. Nobody likes to lose, but I didn't realize at the time how hard he would take it. If I would have known how he felt, I probably wouldn't have played him. To this day, I still have a lot of respect for his game and as a person, and may he rest in peace.

Earthquake <hr /></blockquote>Ok, that's it. Everyone out of my freakin' way. I'm first in line for that book. Even if I have to write it.

Fred &lt;~~~ thinks the Keith vs. Willie story is the best I've ever read.

Deeman

07-17-2003, 07:52 AM

The most dominant player I ever saw in a personal session was Harold Worst. I know, he died young (lung cancer)and did not have the length of career that most do. However, I watched him play a line of players in Blythville, Arkansas somewhere around '65 and he just could not miss. It was nine ball and I heard he was just as unstoppable in Johnson City. If he missed more than 3 balls in two days, I sure didn't see it. Has anyone else ever seen him play. The gambling was high in Blythville and he made over 30 large in pretty small buckets. He only left because no one would play, no matter the spot. I do remember Buddy was a part of that but, for some reason, never figured in the money in the end. Titanic Thompson, an Arkansas native, made $5,000 off a local banker by betting that he could walk around the table on his hands. He did it. The Banker claimed his leg hit the table (it didn't) and welched on the bet. Thompson got his money but I won't say how. /ccboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Anyway, Eddie Taylor is the only one I remember even taking a game from Harold.

Hopster

07-17-2003, 09:55 AM

Titanic Thompson, an Arkansas native, made $5,000 off a local banker by betting that he could walk around the table on his hands. He did it. The Banker claimed his leg hit the table (it didn't) and welched on the bet. Thompson got his money but I won't say how. &lt;--Deeman

I read quite a few things about this guy over the years. He was some piece of work, a real one of a kind. Killed a few guys along the way who were stupid enough to try to rob him. Master of the prop bet, great golfer, poker player although i heard he couldnt play pool that well and this used to annoy him.

eg8r

07-17-2003, 10:21 AM

I'm second.

eg8r &lt;~~~Hoping Fred does not buy all the copies /ccboard/images/graemlins/smile.gif

BillPorter

07-17-2003, 10:35 AM

I knew Ti back in Dalls in the early 1960's. He was in his early 70's at that time as I recall. His pool game wasn't great, although he could beat a casual player and knew some one-hole moves. He shot his age on a golf course in his 70's. He knew a million proposition bets. One of my fondest memories from those days was beating him out of $30 on a card proposition. I had the nuts on the bet, but couldn't get anyone to come in with me (I had only $30 on me at the time); his reputation was so strong that no one believed I could have the best of the bet. BTW, his full name was Alvin Clarence Thomas.

Hopster

07-17-2003, 03:23 PM

BTW, his full name was Alvin Clarence Thomas. &lt;--Bill Porter

I read a book on him called The unsinkable Titanic Thompson. Good stuff, one of his props was to drive a golf ball 500 yards. he did it by hitting it across a frozen lake or over the side of a cliff, which ever story you like better. He also threw a walnut over a 5 story building, he filled it with lead and had it in with a bunch of plain ones.Another bet was that he bet a guy how far it was to town and the guy bet him but the night before Titanic went and dug up the town limits marker and moved it 300 yards ahead. lol
The guy was priceless, its rumored but not confirmed that he was in the poker game in 1928 that Arnold Rothstein was murdered in.

UTAddb

07-17-2003, 03:57 PM

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Keith McCready:</font><hr> About Richie and Fats, they were playing all night, one-pocket, and started out playing 5 or 10 dimes a game, and Fats ended up busting Richie. <hr /></blockquote>
You'll have to keep me posted on the gambling lingo- 1 dime=$10? $100?

Rod

07-17-2003, 04:00 PM

I've read a few stories about Thompson, unfortunately I only remember one. It was in an old Golf Digest from early 70's. He bet a guy he'd beat him playing golf with a rake, shovel and hoe. That may not be exact but it was all garden suff. It's been to many years, but my guess is, he won or it wouldn't have been in the digest. LOL I remember it showed his picture holding a driver with a shaft bent about 3 directions. I use to bet guys I could out drive them with my putter. I could hit it about 220. Of course I picked the right guys to bet. LOL

Rod

UTAddb

07-17-2003, 04:11 PM

A hoe would make for a great sand wedge! /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif